Fool of a Took
by elveriamoir
Summary: A collection of One shots that pop up in my mind about The Lord of the Rings. I make no apologies or explanations about the way my brain works. I do hope you enjoy them. Oh I will put any warnings at the beginning of the chapters. Rating is for my own peace of mind at the moment.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: I don't own any of the LoTR characters I am just taking them out of Tolkien's toy box and playing with them. Can be taken as slash if one squints.**_

At the Walls.

He didn't understand what was happening to him.

When had he started to find the flowing red hair and compact body beautiful? When had he started to admire the deadly elegance behind each axe swing? When had the ancient battle cry of "Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!" stirred his blood and gave fire to his own actions? When had his heart beat in worry when he couldn't spot the short form of his companion? When had he felt the need to sit for hours and carefully remove the blood and ichor from the magnificent beard? When had he allowed the familiarity of allowing broad callused fingers to braid his own blonde hair?

No he didn't understand what was happening to him. Nor did he understood when it had started, but as he rode on the back of a magnificent white horse, Gimli a heavy, comforting warmth at his back he found he didn't care.

_**AN: What do you think of my first venture into LOTR verse?**_

_**Leave me a review please. I would love to hear what you think. **_


	2. Into the Fray

_**AN: I don't own any of the LoTR characters I am just taking them out of Tolkien's toy box and playing with them. Can be taken as slash if one squints.**_

_**This follows on from At the Walls, but can be read separately. **_

Into the fray.

He didn't understand it.

When had he found comfort in the too willowy form being by his side? When had he found safety in the twang of a bow string? When had the sight of blonde hair dampened by rain and stained by blood stoked the furnace of his protectiveness? When had he started to feel the need to keep the too thin form within his vision? When had he allowed himself to become so familiar that he let nimble fingers work at his beard? When had he become so attached that he would braid the hair of someone who wasn't kin?

He didn't understand it. Nor did he care too. As he rode on the back of that bloody great beast he found himself comforted by the slender waist he no longer gripped tightly in fear of falling. Legolas would have his back, and he would watch the back of the elf.

_**AN: Leave me a review and let me know what you think please. I do enjoy finding out your opinions. **_


	3. The Dead Marshes

_**AN: I don't own any of the hobbit characters I am just taking them out of Tolkien's toy box and playing with them.**_

The Dead Marshes

Ada told me I should never to walk along the marsh shortcut that led from our home to the Kingdom of Erebor. He said it was dangerous and I'd get myself killed if I didn't listen to him. That didn't make any sense to me. The marsh shortcut was a wide, sandy path that my buddies used all the time when they went from the woodland realm to the dwarven kingdom. None of them ever got hurt. And at the age of thirteen, I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

It was Pa who told me why Ada was so scared of the marsh path. Pa spoke softly, his Westron still tinged by his Sindarin accent. "Your Ada's little sister disappeared in the marsh a long time ago. She was taking the shortcut to the old pond to gather some firewood, and she never came back. They found her straw hat floating in the stagnant water, but they never found her body."

"I ain't gonna fall into the water like Ada's sister," I protested.

"That isn't it, son," Pa said. "It's the spirit of your little aunt. She comes to the marsh path some evenings and she...she sings."

Colour drained from my face and my arms grew goose fleshed. "She's a ghost?" I gasped.

"Not just a ghost, son," Pa said. "Your little aunt, she is kind of like the Jack Ma Lantern. After she drowned, her ghost started floating over the marsh at night, singing softly of death and the grave. She's lonesome and wants her family to join her, so she tries to lure them into the water with her song." Pa swallowed hard and continued: "It is safe for your comrades to walk that path 'cause _they are not family_. But if you go there, the ghost will come for you. So you stay away from the marsh."

It was easy to forget the ghost in the long days of summer as the fellers and I rambled around the countryside after the day's work was done. One day, my buddy and I were caught in Dale after sunset. "My Pa's going to be sore at me if I miss dinner," Tamuriel said. "We better hurry." Tamuriel swerved onto the shortcut through the marsh, expecting me to follow. I stared after my buddy, torn between speed and safety. I knew I shouldn't take the shortcut, but with Tamuriel present, chances were good that the ghost wouldn't come because he wasn't family. I raced down the marsh path after Tamuriel.

As the wind swished through the marsh grasses, all whisper-whisper-whisper, I paused for a moment to admire the moon, which was rising over the treetops, making a glittering path across the still water. Suddenly, the air around me grew cold until my whole body shook with chills. Out of the silvery moon-sparkle there came a child-like figure that danced and floated above the dark water like a will-o-wisp. I gasped, my throat tight with fear. I called to Tamuriel, just a yard in front of me, but he didn't hear me and I knew he couldn't see the spirit floating toward us across the marsh. Puffs of freezing air formed in front of my nostrils as the little girl started to sing.

I relaxed suddenly, as lovely pictures floated through my head. I saw myself as a grown man and I had become rich and famous. I had a fancy house and an expensive jewels and a lovely family. Then I saw my Ada right in front of me. He was beaming with pride over my achievements. He beckoned to me, want me to come give him a hug. I hurried forward, splashing through water that came to my knees, my waist, my chest. "I'm coming Ada!" I called, stretching strangely heavy arms toward him. Then I was overwhelmed by the stink of stagnant marsh gases. My mouth filled with sour water and I choked as the world went dark.

I woke gasping as someone pounded me on the chest. I choked and vomited swamp water all over the person thumping my ribs. Then I heard Pa's voice: "Son? You all right? Son!" I opened my eyes and saw Tamuriel and my Pa staring down at me in the shimmering moonlight. It was Tamuriel that pulled me out of the swamp, and Pa that forced air back into my lungs. I was soaked to the skin and my whole body trembled with cold and shock. "I saw Ada's little sister," I gasped. "She sang to me..." Papa swept me into a hug, shading me from the world in a curtain of golden hair and sheltering me with long limbs, then I lost consciousness again.

When I woke the second time, I was in my bed and Ada was holding my hand and weeping. He hugged me so tight I could barely breathe and scolded me something fierce for disobeying him. He tucked his head under my chin as he lay by my side and I stared down at the now white streaked red braids I promised him that I wouldn't walk the marsh path again, and I kept that promise.

_**AN: **_

_**Yes it is supposed to be a Legolas/Gimli story. **_

_**Leave me a review and let me know what you think please.**_


	4. Loyalty

_**AN: I do not own any of the characters or places in The Hobbit, they belong to Professor Tolkien and he would kill me for how I have corrupted them. **_

Loyalty.

Legolas narrowed his eyes as the fairly young and unknown human was rude and uncouth towards his friend. Did the nîth not realise Aragorn was the rightful king of his people? Did he not realise that the dark haired ranger was more than twice his age? Anger flooded through him and he pushed to his feet the words falling from his lips as he glared at the pompous fool. He would need to keep an eye on this one.

They were surrounded by horses and men. At his side Aragorn met their leader head on a polite mash up of nothings. Legolas hadn't realised his loyalty had evolved to include the dwarf until he was pointing his bow at the lead horseman, arrow already notched and anger coursing through his veins. This mere magor thought to insult Gimli. It wasn't until Aragorn forcefully lowered his bow Legolas realised there had been many spears pointed at him.

Apparently his edair was right, his loyalty would be the death of him.

_**AN: Leave me a review and let me know what you think please. **_

_**Translations. **_

_**(Sindarin to English).**_

_**Nîth – youth.**_

_**Magor – Swordsman.**_

_**Edair - Father.**_


	5. Rocks

_**AN: I don't own any of the LoTR characters I am just taking them out of Tolkien's toy box and playing with them. **_

_**Not a slash story.**_

Rocks.

Legolas awoke from his waking dreams feeling safer than he had done in a long while. The trees of Lothlorien towered over him and the sounds of the rest of his companions' slumber blended with the soft murmur of the early awakening elves. He lay on his roll for longer than he would normally have done, the feeling of safety warring with the grief that still had its claws deep in his chest. It was as the first of the birds began to sing he realised the deep snores of a sleeping dwarf were missing from his ears and as he sat up he realised that the dwarf was not sleeping with the rest of the group. Frowning he pushed gracefully to his feet and without bothering to fix himself Legolas padded forward on bare feet, a single sheathed dagger slipped into his loosely tied belt.

He finally found the red haired dwarf kneeling by a gentle stream, and although he would later deny it, it was quite by accident that he had found his dwarven acquaintance. As he watched from the shadows of the trees Gimli raised his head and beckoned with a stream dampened hand. Flushing lightly at being caught Legolas stepped forward and knelt quietly by the dwarf's side.

Gimli's clear brown eyes settled on his face and Legolas was surprised to find he felt judgement in the gaze. Obviously the dwarf had found what he was searching for and handed a smooth pebble to him. Legolas peered at the water tumbled silver streaked black stone he had just received and could not fathom why the dwarf had given it to him. Brown eyes held his gaze for several long moments and he found himself closing his fingers around the stone. As Gimli walked away from him he turned back to the stone and examined it in closer detail. It was by the stream he was found by Celeborn, who laughed quietly at the contemplative look his younger kin wore. Seeing the stone still in loose fingers he decided to inform the young wood elf that it was a gift from the dwarf and that he should be honoured by it. Legolas didn't see Gimli alone until they were situated in boats and leaving the silver shade of the Lady's protection, and yet a single water tumbled stone was threaded on a leather thong around his neck and hidden beneath layers of tunics.

It was on the shores of the river he was handed a new stone and to the bemusement of the watching hobbits and humans accepted with a soft word of thanks. Wandering a short distance away from the group he examined the smoothed rock. This even he recognised as a form of quartz and he couldn't help but smile as he noticed the tiny hole threaded through the rock. Silently he added the stone to the thong around his neck and tucked it under his tunic. He may find dwarven ways strange but Gimli was obviously attempting friendship in his own way and that warmed his jaded heart.

In the next week of explosive movement and almost perpetual running Legolas had little time to think of the stones lying on the hollow of his collar bone and even if he had the effort Gimli was having to put into keeping up with their longer legs would have made him doubt the dwarf having time to add another to his collection. He would have been proved wrong and when the dwarf shoved another smoothed pebble into his hand as they dismounted in the streets of Edoras he found himself gapping unattractively for several long moments before pulling himself together. He took a chance to look at the stone as Gandalf harried the guards and decided the mosaic pattern on the lustured gold-orange stone was pretty and managed to slide it onto the thong at his neck before glowering at the human who wished for him to hand over his weapons.

The chill lingered over his skin long after Gandalf had cast out the spirit of Saurman and Legolas rubbed his arms as he headed out of the Golden Hall of Meduseld. He felt strangely betrayed by Gimli who was happily drinking with the Rohirrim and indulging in their roasted meats, long fingers toyed with the necklace at his throat as the human inhabitants of the city finally came to the conclusion the head to Helm's Deep. His feeling of betrayal was swept away when he entered the room he and Gimli were sharing with Aragorn that night to find a single drilled slither of what looked like wood. He gasped as he picked it up and felt the rock like qualities of its polished surface, he had heard of a thing called petrified wood but had never held it. That Gimli would gift him something so rare and so beautiful allowed him to offer Aragorn a smile as the human slouched into the room.

Grief so painful he could barely function. He had little remembrance of remounting the beautiful horse he now called his own, nor of finishing the ride to Helms Deep. The loss of Aragorn ate at him and dragged at his spirit. He came to on the battlements, staring into the cool darkness of night and found a rough shard of frosted sea green stone, tiny iridescent flecks catching the torch light. Staring at the rock he felt his mind calm and a steely resolve settle over him. His human friend had given his word they would help support the people of Rohan and he would honour that. As he strode through the crowds of ever panicking humans, newest stone warm against his skin he pulled up short at the sight of a battered but very much alive Aragorn standing talking to Théoden.

He allowed his emotions free reign when he saw how ill equipped the people of Rohan truly were, how few of them were fighters. He exchanged harsh words with the Aragorn, and was held back by Gimli as his human friend stormed away. He rounded on the dwarf and saw his own fears reflected back at him from brown eyes, and yet there was a stubbornness there that told him the dwarf would stand by the peoples come hell or high water. This time the gift was pressed into his hand and warm, rough hands closed his fingers over it before the re-haired male waded into the confusion of the armoury, voice raised in unquestionable authority. In a shadowed corner Legolas raised the stone of the richest transparent green that almost seemed like deep-woodland in the spring time. In its surface were tiny carvings of the runes of protection and safety. His eyes wide he slid the beautiful stone onto the thong around his neck as he realised he too would stand with Aragorn. Without thinking about it he held out his friend's sword and offered his apologies to the human and a nod of thanks to the dwarf who broke the tension.

Anger raged in his blood at the fall of so many of his kin and yet he found himself steeled to almost unmoving with the sheer weariness that flooded his body. Telling himself if the humans could keep moving then he wouldn't let Haldir down Legolas helped move bodies and rocks, all the while keeping one eye on Aragorn and anxious for a sign of the dwarf he now called friend. When Gimli reappeared it was with a bound head, minus his helm and eyes sparkling with a new found wonder. The destruction that surrounded them stilted that wonder and Legolas pouted as he wished for his friend to be happy. When the dwarf threw himself into work despite injury and having to be as tired as everyone else Legolas began to wonder if his race were indeed created from stone. When they called a halt at the coming of night he found himself sitting by a fire with a grumbling Gimli and offering the dwarf aid to clean the blood and dirt from his beard and hair. He quailed with the look he was shot before widening his eyes in surprise when the dwarf handed him a comb, water pouch and turned his back with strict instructions to put his braids and beads back in properly. Legolas found himself enthralled by the multitude of materials used to make the beads that decked his newest friend's hair and realised he recognised several from the stones the dwarf before him had given in gift. Gimli left him with a clap on the shoulder and an offer of yet another carefully shaped rock. This one he easily recognised as a dwarven Warrior's Stone. His hand flew to his mouth to hold in the almost sob he released at Gimli gifting him such a thing. Its distinctive blood-red markings against a dark green base shone through the Khudzul phrases cut into the surface. Reverently and ignoring Aragorn's questioning eyes he rearranged the stones on the leather cord. Careful knots meant they would no longer rub together and when he retired the thong around his neck the Bloodstone was central.

Joy at finding their friends only tempered by the destruction all around him and overshadowed by the awe at meeting an Ent. All these emotions still beat in his chest as he accepted a drinking competition from Gimli as they made camp at Edoras. He smiled in wry humour as the dwarf toppled backwards from the bench and knowing of dwarven recovery after drinking merely covered him with his cloak and left to sleep his own buzz of in the tent they had claimed. His sleep roll was starting to look ragged, but his attention was instantly caught by a carved bead of mottled jade. He raised it into the light and gasped as he realised it was carved with a figure of himself and as he trailed fingers over the surface he wondered when Gimli was finding time to carve these items. Soon he allowed himself to drift into waking dreams, bead still cradled protectively in his hands. When morning arose curious whispers followed him from those who had seen him previously. He supposed he couldn't blame them, after all who would have ever thought an elf would walk around with a clearly dwarven bead in his hair.

Madness had once again reigned and by the time his elven senses had finally accustomed to the noise flooding Gondor they were to leave again, this time with an army of Gondorians and Rohirrim marching with them. Gimli was once again to ride behind him and bother were armoured and refreshed. The dwarf had found time to press a clear cornflower-blue, sapphire into his hands and the humans around him had gawked when he held it up to the light. His elven ears picked up awed whispers of it being a star sapphire and that the dwarf was insane for giving such a thing away to someone who worshiped plants. Deciding against mentioning his own father's love of white gems Legolas smirked at the humans and fished his now impressive necklace from under his leathers and tunic. Deciding to tease them further he played with the combinations again until the emerald and sapphire sat beside the bloodstone and the rest arranged around them. The muttering silenced, Legolas threw the humans a look, checked his jade bead was in his braid and strode to the stables to meet Gimli.

When the dark was finally defeated and the remaining eight of the nine walkers awake and back to full health in Minas Tirith Legolas laid aside his leather and stone necklace while he bathed and when he emerged found someone had removed it from the bath house. He searched high and low without being able to find it, becoming more agitated the longer he was without it. To settle his mind he retreated to the gardens he was starting to create and threw his energy into making them bloom for the arrival of his kin and more importantly the Lady Arwen. Despite his feeling of loss and distraction he dared not mention he had lost the dwarf's gifts to Gimli himself and also noticed the dwarf appeared tired. Questions as to why merely got the standard explanation of trying to rebuild the city with people who didn't understand stone and so he once again retreated to the gardens.

The day arrived when the future queen of Gondor was due to arrive and Legolas once again bathed after making sure his silver-grey buckskin legging, cream leather boots and silver embroidered cream tunic were laid out. Gimli had somehow managed to get him quarters with their own bathing area and so he carefully braided his hair into ones showing his rank and birth rather than the traveling ones he preferred, the jade bead shone against the gold of his hair and he touched it mourning the loss of the rest of his gifts. It wasn't until he finished dressing he noticed the folded portion of pale green velvet on his dressing table and he approached it with confusion. Upon peeling the top layer of material back he found himself sitting down in sheer shock. Every one of his gifts from Gimli were present, but they had somehow been set into a very elven necklace of Mithril and White Gold. The Bloodstone hung down and Legolas widened his eyes as he realised there was a new stone present. A clear, sparkling diamond was set in a trio with the star sapphire and emerald, and it was from these three stones the Warrior's Stone hung.

A trumpet's call told him he had no time to hunt his dwarven friend down and rain praises and curses down on his head so he carefully clasped the necklace in place and made sure it was visible against his tunic.

Elven and dwarven eyes widened in surprise at the necklace he supported but ignoring them all Legolas took pride of place to lead Arwen to Aragorn. The king only had eyes for his betrothed and Legolas slipped to his friend's side and Gimli smiled up at him.

"Shush now laddie, if any one deserves to be wearing them rocks it is you."

Unable to argue with the belief in the dwarf's gravelly voice Legolas swore he would never again remove the necklace or hair bead. And he kept the promise, both being clearly visible as he helped an aged Gimli from the boat on the Shores of the Undying lands. It was here as he allowed Gimli to be torn from his side that he learnt the truth of meaning behind the stones he wore and it was here he wept over his friend's finally still form and place a diamond and bloodstone he had carved on the dwarf's chest as they inhabitants made the third and final grave on those shores.

_**AN: What do you think?**_

_**Leave me a review please. I would love to hear what you think. **_

_**In order of how Gimli gifts the stones, and while Legolas may not recognise them or understand what they do our Gimli is a dwarf and can draw the magic from them. **_

_**Onyx – Has a calming effect and quiets powerful emotional states. **_

_**Smokey Quartz – Calms the mind and allows us to focus. **_

_**Bronzite – Helps deflect negative energy, promotes creativity and flexible thinking as well as adding in the release of emotional tension. **_

_**Petrified wood – increases perseverance and patience, anchors us to the planet, and brings stability in times of stress. **_

_**Adventurine – Calms and stabilizes the emotions, encourages a positive outlook, and increases tranquillity. **_

_**Emerald – While it is said to reveal the truth and encourage honesty, it also bolsters love, friendship and attachments, while assuaging hidden fears and anxieties.**_

_**Bloodstone – It is traditionally linked with healing wounds and stopping blood loss, but also symbolises strength and good health. **_

_**Jade – While it is associated with longevity, it is also a link to connect living people with their dead ancestors and is used to protect the spirits of the dead. It is said to improve our relationships with other people and enhances the ability to act appropriately and effectively, while increasing the sense of belonging.**_

_**Sapphire – are said to promote spiritual strength, protect from envy and harm, while attracting favourable spirits and blessings. They are also said to encourage wisdom and aid victory over all, while reducing tension.**_

_**Diamond – traditionally associated with courage, purity and invincibility, they have always been considered powerful enough to drive away evil and bring good fortune. **_


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